Extraordinary X Men, Volume 1
by The Mountain
Summary: Alternate universe. Elements of the comics and X-Men Evolution. First story arch with the Brotherhood. Introducing first: Pyro!


**The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters...**

"You know, I think we've ran this drill enough times, Charles," Logan pointed out as his class stepped into the Danger Room for their first big exam. "Even with twelve, I don't think they're gonna have too much of a problem with this one."

"I have full confidence in their individual abilities," the wheelchair bound Xavier answered. "My concern is whether or not they can function as a team. I would hope the Wolverine has trained them effectively in that aspect as well as their solo training."

"Heh, if they can't get along, it's on them," Logan snarled. "They've certainly been taught to work together, but without me in their barking orders, things could get real interesting."

"'We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope,'" Henry McCoy interjected. "Whatever faults we find in them today, may yet become their strengths tomorrow."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Can the philosophy, Hank. Just start the sequence."

"Always in a rush..." he snipped back even as he pushed the start button.

_[X-MEN GROUP COMBAT COURSE 1.5 INITIATED.]_

"Alright team, form up around my position. We stand a better chance together then apart," Scott Summers instructed the other seven students around him. A dozen robot drones armed with machine gun arms surrounded the black and yellow unformed troupe. Just another typical day in the Danger Room.

"Would you drop the Fearless Leader act, Scott?" Bobby Drake retorted while saving the three female students from a hail of paintball bullets and then decapitated a drone with a well placed icicle spear. "We've run this drill a dozen times already."

"This is no time to joke around, Iceman," Jean Grey scolded him, grabbing the severed head with her mind and sending it crashing through the chests of three more drones, causing them to fall. "And his codename is Cyclops – get used to calling him that."

"Lighten up, 'Marvel Girl," Alison Blaire chided snootily. "He's right. By now, this is just fun and games." She snapped her fingers and two beams of light blasted the drones in front of her.

"You've got style, Frau Dazzler, but you have no common sense sometimes," Kurt Wagner laughed even as he teleported her out of harm's way from a driving punch from the drone behind her. "Lucky Nightcrawler is here to save you, yah?"

"Da," answered Peter Rasputin jovially as he plowed through the drone with a single punch from his giant metallic frame. "And lucky Colossus is here to do the heavy lifting."

"If you two are done with the chivalry, you could get these guys off my tail," Warren Worthington shouted from the sky. The winged teenager was doing a remarkable job of avoiding the bullets, twirling and weaving through them and making it look easy.

Katherine Pryde appeared out of the ground and reached into two of the remaining robots' structure, pulling out vital wires that made them collapse. "Thanks for being such excellent bait, Angel."

"Good work, Shadowcat," Cyclops commended her. "Everybody duck." This time, everyone obeyed as their field commander in training. Scott flipped a switch and gave the area a violent once over, searing the last three robots with his devastating energy blasts.

_[X-MEN GROUP COMBAT COURSE 1.5 COMPLETE]_

"82.7 seconds. Congratulations, team, you've just beaten your own record," Henry called from up top. "And given me a week's worth of repair work. My gratitude knows no bounds."

"Sorry, Doc, but it's just too much fun blowing them up," Bobby answered. "So, do we get to move on to the real challenges yet?"

"Bub, that attitude of yours is gonna get ya killed on the battlefield," Logan said. "This isn't a game. You need to take this all more seriously."

Bobby scowled and folded his arms, looking away.

"Everyone up here now. We'll discuss your individual grades in private. As for the group, I give it a solid B+."

"Aww man," Jean smacked her forehead. "There goes my 4.0 GPA."

"Yeah, because that's such a big deal," Allie snipped. "Face it, egghead, you're supposed to fail at gym. This is the class for the cool people."

Jean tossed her a menacing glare. "Some of us have better things to do with our day than seeing how far we can stretch our legs." She stormed off ahead of the others.

"Mee-ow," Allie mocked. "Talk about jealous. Just cuz I can can actually fill out my sweater..."

"Shut it, Alison," Scott interrupted, who was always overprotective of Jean.

"Aww, did I insult your girlfriend?" she bit back. "Man, everybody's so touchy. Let's get out of here Warren."

Warren sighed, removing the cowl that covered his head. "You could stand to be a little nicer to everyone, darling." She rolled her eyes and Warren followed.

"Don't worry about her, Scott," Kurt said, placing his three-fingered hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "We all have our vices and personality flaws. Some are just more abrasive than others."

* * *

><p><strong>Bayville Mall...<strong>

"Do you still want the dress, Ma'am?" the clerk asked, holding a teal dress with an African tribal motif.

"Yes, I'll pay full price for it," Ororo answered shortly. "But you really should do a better job making sure what is and isn't actually on clearance."

"Our apologies, Ma'am," she answered in a tone that sounded anything but sincere.

_Perhaps the best part about teaching at the Xavier Institute is not having to be so frugal with my paycheck, _she thought to herself as she walked out of the store with a bag full of six new dresses and another with two sets of shoes.

"G'day Miss. Plan on 'eading to Victoria's Secret next?" It was a voice that she hadn't heard in eight years, and right now, she wished it was more than that. "Cos' I'd loveta see you in that stuff. Or less."

"Johnathan," she said coldly, small blasts of electricity flaring from her eyes.

"Aww now, you can still call me Johnny, 'Ro," he said, deliberately flicking his lighter back on. "I ain't that grown up. How you been 'oldin' up since I last saw ya?"

"Considerably better," she said, deliberately walking past him and hoping that would be the end of her reunion with John Allerdyce, alias Pyro. Former teammate, and would be suitor. That is, if Ororo find his lecherous attitude and penchant for treachery remotely attractive.

"Hey, no need ta get hot at me, 'Ro," he whined, still following after her. "Least not like that at any rate. Come on, I'll buy ya a coffee and we can catch up on things..."

"What on earth makes you think I want to catch up with you, John?" she snapped. "I never much cared for you, but any chance you had you threw away when you left us for Erik's insane crusade."

"Hey now, that was years ago. Don'tcha believe people can change? Maybe I'm sick of being a flunky for him, eh, did ya ever think of that?" he answered with considerable indignation.

Ororo let her emotional guard down for a moment to consider his words. And in that brief second, his blank stare turned into the devilish smirk that she remembered so well. Something that never meant anything good.

"Goodbye John," she said with finality. "Leave me alone."

A moment passed as John seemed taken aback by her refusal to accept him. "Pity. Always hoped it'd work out between us, love," he said, before snickering. "But don't leave yet. Or you'll miss tha fireworks."

"Wha..?" she gasped, stunned for a moment. Then, the unmistakable roar of flame forced her to turn around. He'd set an entire row of decorative plants ablaze. The crowd of people screamed and fled.

"I'm glad you're here, 'Ro," John laughed. "'Cause Pyro is back, and burnin' brighter than evah!"

* * *

><p>"Miss Grey, you have proven to be a valuable addition to the team. You have grown out of your shell and show considerable control over your powers, using them effectively for both offense and defense. Full marks," Xavier finished his examination of her performance.<p>

Jean beamed, no longer bothered by Alison's attitude. "Thank you Professor."

* * *

><p>"The only thing you did right was making those energy beams powerful enough to fry those drones," Logan scolded fiercely. "This is combat training, not ballet class, Blaire. You can't afford to be showing off, mouthing off, or disregarding those higher in command than you. If it wasn't for Kurt, you would have been taken out and the group grade would be getting a C. I suggest you work on your attitude."<p>

Allie lowered her head, trying to hold back her tears. "Yes Sir. I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>"Overall, I'm impressed with your flying skills and your selflessness, Warren," Hank summed up. "I understand that fighting robots has not been particularly kind to you, in spite of your excellent hand-to-hand and swordsmanship performances with Logan."<p>

Warren nodded. "I make a nice target, and I'm great at getting people out of tight spots. But I feel useless against these guys. Honestly, I don't know what you see in me compared to Scott or Peter."

"Not everyone is suited for every situation," Henry summed up. "You are a team because you need more than brute force. You are a vital member of the group. Overall, my assessment is an A-."

* * *

><p>"Wagner, you continue to show excellent awareness and concern for your fellow teammates. You effectively utilize your powers to save them and are directly responsible for Alison passing," Xavier informed him. Kurt grinned, showing his fangs. "However, it seems that you do very little to actually fight. Your powers can be used for more than just quick escapes."<p>

Kurt scratched his hair nervously. "Ah, sorry Professor. I will work on that, ya."

* * *

><p>"Kitty, I've got to admit, I'm impressed," Logan told her. "You've shown tremendous improvement from your first day, ya use yer powers creatively and efficiently. There's no showing off, ya just get the job done. Short, sweet, effective. I had my doubts about ya, kid, but you've proved me wrong."<p>

Kitty's Chesire smile was a sight to behold. "You really mean that? Awesome!" Her hands balled into fists from her excitement.

"Just don't get too sure of yerself, Half Pint."

* * *

><p>"Well, from they guy who played the Big Bruiser Guy for the original X-Men to the guy who seems custom made to be the Big Bruiser Guy for the new..." Hank began, and Pietr's fingers twitched nervously. "You seem to be doing an excellent job. Not the most subtle strategy, but who needs subtlety when you're an indestructible metal man?"<p>

"Da," Pietr smirked. "Spasibo, Dr. McCoy. That means a lot from you."

"Dobro pozhalovet', Peter," Hank answered. "I mean every word."

* * *

><p>"Scott, as always, I continue to be impressed with the control you have over your powers. You are one of the most dangerous students here, yet you show a mastery of your abilities I would not have expected when I brought you to the institute," Xavier explained.<p>

"I'm a fast learner, Professor."

He nodded. "I just wish the rest of the team could learn to accept you as field commander. I have my doubts about whether you'll be able to effectively lead them after all."

Scott frowned. "I will try my best, Sir."

* * *

><p>"Drake, you continue to be most troublesome member of this group. You belittle your commander and undermine his authority at every opportunity," Logan growled.<p>

"But he's a jerk!" Bobby protested. "Why do I have to follow him? He hasn't proved anything! He's just a..."

"He was chosen to lead because he is the most level-headed, well-rounded of all of you. If you want to be a part of this team, you need to start being a team player and learn to follow orders."

Bobby scowled, folding his arms. He then looked away solemnly, as if he begrudgingly acknowledging that Logan's criticism was warranted.

"That said, excellent use of your powers today. I'm glad to have you with us."

* * *

><p>Storm instinctively summoned a gust of wind to dissipate the blast of fire that Pyro launched at her after his taunting. But she was too far out of practice to guard against the running punt to her ribs. Doubling over and on the verge of throwing up, she barely heard his next words.<p>

"Cain't 'ave ya spoiling my fun, love." He grabbed the collar of her jacket and tossed her against the wall.

"HEY YOU, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" called a deep baritone voice, and a security guard rushed them with a nightstick.

"Ah, tha police are just as annoyin' as evah, I see," he said with a laugh. He turned on the lighter and breathed a blast of fire that balled into a fist and took the guard down and set him ablaze. Pyro erupted into laughter and turned his inferno into his semi-sentient fire demons. "Burn this place ta tha ground!" he ordered, even as began taking out blasting windows with enough flame to make them shatter.

Amidst the distraction, a weakened and dizzy Storm managed to conjure up a small rain cloud over the guard, putting the fires and hopefully saving his life.

"Eh?" John noticed the cloud and Ororo trying to crawl towards him. He responded with a merciless stomp on her fingers, causing her to scream in pain and a bolt of lightning to flash through the sky.

"Nice try, 'Ro, but ya ain't savin' nobody taday," he cackled. He picked up overhead and launched her through a jewelry shop window. "Always wanted ta give ya sumthin nice an' shiny!"

Bleeding from her arms and legs, gasping for air, and with a broken hand, Ororo had trouble even reaching into her purse. She was very thankful for the distress signal that Xavier had given to everyone at the mansion, and managed to activate it before the store was set ablaze.

* * *

><p>"So overall, while there is definite room for improvement, you've all passed your first exam in combat training," Xavier summed up as all of the students came in. Bobby continued to sulk while Allie managed to put on her air of confidence. "As individuals, you are powerful, but my hope is that as a team you will all..."<p>

The loud beeping and bright red flaring interrupted the assessment.

[DISTRESS BEACON ACTIVATED: CODE NAME STORM]

Hank gasped and quickly used the Distress Signal program to find her location. "She's at the Bayville Mall," he said with considerable surprise. "What on earth is happening there?"

The Professor reached out psychically; the mall was far enough to take considerable strain on his powers unless he was aided by Cerebro, but Storm's suffering rang loud and clear in his head, as did the flames surrounding.

Xavier's scowled with sudden urgency. "There's fire. She's in pain, almost in shock. It seems your next test will be much more important. Wolverine, lead the students and save her."

Logan had already covered himself with his cowl. "Charles, are you sure these guys are ready to..." he began.

"They will have to be," he said. "Logan, if Storm is this bad and she's at the mall, it isn't because she slipped and fell. The fire...I don't think it's natural."

Logan's eyes widened, knowing that Xavier was inferring his future student. "Charles, we can't risk."

"We need all the help we can get," he said with finality. "Hurry!"

Logan looked at his students. A mixed bag of nervousness and determination was on their faces. "To the X-Jet. On the double!"

* * *

><p>Fortunately, the fire alarms had warned most of the shoppers and businessmen. Pyro didn't seem to care really. He watched with smug satisfaction as the demons crawled up the walls and torched each store they entered.<p>

"Beautiful," he smirked. "All it needs now is a centerpiece." And with that, he set the food court, with all of the grease and stoves and electrical equipment on fire. It burned like a massive bonfire, and John laughed maniacally at his work.

"It's about damn time tha world remembered that mutants walk among 'em," he said. "God I've missed this!"

Storm had managed to stagger out of the jewelry shop, though her dress was scorched. Groaning and clutching her ribs, she looked at the food court and then above it to the glass ceiling of the mall.

Focusing the last bit of her strength, her eyes went white and several bolts of lightning blasted through the glass. Shards rained down on the ruined mall as the building was exposed to the elements.

"Still kickin' it, eh 'Ro?" John roared before blasting her with a fireball that even she couldn't block. The concussive effect knocked her back into a pillar, and she collapsed on the floor. John continued to walk towards her, and as she lifted her head, she could see his fiery demons closing in on her.

"Ya shouldn't be fightin' me, witch," he told her. "You are one a tha most powerful mutants I've ever seen. Ya control the weather, ya fool. Ya could be a _goddess _and ya settle for a normal life. Or as normal as can get for a mutie, right?"

Ororo glared at him. "My gifts do not entitle me to rule. And neither do yours."

"Better ta rule in 'ell than serve in 'eaven, m'right?" he said as he lit a cigar. Then he scowled bitterly. "And I'm about to send ya there myself." His hands burst into flames and he roared, ready to finish her off.

"You first. _Bub."_

Pyro turned around to see the familiar and unwelcome sight of Wolverine. The adamantium claws extended past his knuckles and his feral show of teeth was on his face. Even though he'd battled with and against him dozens of times, he could never quite get used to how terrifying he was.

As if that wasn't unsettling enough, he was leading a group that Pyro did not recognize. The ones that stood out the most were the massive metal man in the back, the one with a ten-foot wingspan, a boy made of solid ice, and a furry blue...thing that made his fiery creations look normal in comparison. The others seemed to be teenaged girls and one boy with a very strange visor.

"I see you've brought friends, Wolverine, ol' chum," he said with an understated menace, even as the demons turn their attention to the group. "Good. There's plenty a me ta go around."


End file.
